Unmanned Vanguard: Leveraging The Operational Effectiveness Of The Israeli Unmanned Aircraft System Program
Abstract
The last decade has seen the rise of the role of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in militaries around the world. According to David Rodman's article, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in the service of the Israeli Air Force, "in terms of technological sophistication of its UAS force, Israel is unquestionably well ahead of the pack. Only the United States (US) is in the same league."1 This paper will show how the Israeli Air Force (IAF) UAS program's unrivaled operational effectiveness is born from their continuity between mission requirements, UAS development, and aircrew training. It will compare the Israeli Air Forces (IAF) UAS program to the United States Air Force (USAF) UAS program while it details Israels relatively long history of UAV employment, advanced defense industry, ongoing mission requirements, superior crew training and high morale. Lastly, it will show how the USAF can learn from the IAF effectiveness in continuity and take steps to solidify their own UAS programs in the future. This paper will focus on both the IAFs and the USAF's largest medium altitude long endurance (MALE) UASs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2012
- Accession Number
- AD1022968
Entities
People
- Michael R. Stolley
Organizations
- Air Command and Staff College